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G. SWEET. MOWING MACHINE.

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. vices for controlling the adjustments ot' and Asupporting in their elevated positions the iin- 5o also provided, as in my aforesaid patent, with ful Improvements in Mowing-Machines, of

Yto the desired extent throughout their length,

provide a simple, efficient, and economical orexplained preparatory to specic designation .parts broken away. lpartly in section, on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1, with shown by dotted lines.

UNITED 'STATES NPATENT Garten.

GEORGE SWEET, OF DANSVILLE, NEW' YORK.

lVlOWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 247,707, dated September 2 7, 1881.

Application led July 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SWEEL'ofDansville, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented certain new and use- Vwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in deger-beam or cutting apparatus of mowers of the well-known class in which the linger-beams, when in operation, are left free to rise or fall or at their inner or outer ends, respectively, to conform to the inequalities of the surface over which they pass; and my object,mainly, is to ganization of devices whereby the iin ger-beam may he raised and lowered byits controllinglever and locked in its turned-up or extreme elevated position, as will hereinafter fully be of the subject-matter claimed.

The accompanying drawings show so much of a mower as is deemed necessary to illustrate my improvements as applied to a front-cut machine, such in general features of construction as shown in United States Letters Patent Figure 1 is a plan or top view, portions of and parts broken away. Fig. 2 isa front ele- 1,parts being shown by dotted lines and other Fig. 3 is a side elevation,

portions of vthe machine omitted and parts Figs. 4 and 5 are 'detail views, partly in front elevation and. partly in'section onthe' lines4 4and55, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Driving-wheels A A, a mainframe, B, the main-frame arm or cornerextension A2, the wooden frame-bar C,atongue,D,and the coup` ling-arm E, doubly jointed to the main-frame arm, are all similar to or substantially the same as the corresponding parts shown in my beforereferred-to patent. The verticallywibrating and axially-rockin g coupling-arm E is a rigid forked bracket or two firmly-attached port the finger-beam when turned up. Fig. 5.)

bearings or anges, Zm,the one above and the other below the coupling-arm, and the bracearm J is pivoted to one of these bearings, and the connecting-rod K is jointed to the other.

Insteadofsinglypivotingormerelypin-jointing the brace-arm J and connecting-rod K to the supporting-bracket H and rocking lever I, respectively, as shown in my before-mentioned patent, two-way flexing or doubly-jointed connections are provided to avoid unnecessary strain or injurious cramping of the parts. As shown by the drawings, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) the brace-arm K at its rear end is pivoted to a swivel-bolt, j, turning in a bearing at the bot;-

tom ofthe bracket H, whilethe rear end of the connecting-rod K is similarly jointed to a swivel-bolt, k, turning in a socket provided in the lower projecting end, z', of the lever I.

The operation ofthe devices so far described or referred to will be understood by reference to my patent of July 26, 1881.

The finger-beam F of the cutting apparatus is jointed to the coupling-arm in suitable way, as by a lugged heel-plate or clip-iron, G, and a. pin or pivot passing through the clip-lugs g g and through the sleeve bearing or socket f, formed with or secured to the end of the coupling-arm.

Ashouldered arm or hook, n, at theheel of the linger-beam is shown as secured firmly by its iiange or base'upon the upper surface of the clip-iron Gand close tothe socket f ofthe coupling-arm. The top of this hook is slightly rounded or doubly inclined, and its side next the coupling-arm is curved, that it may rest close to the bearing-sleevef.

A vibrating and yielding catch or pivoted and spring-actuated hook, N, co-operates with the iixed hook n and iuterlocks with it to sup- See This rocking hook is pivoted to(the coupling-arm E by a pin or screw-bolt passing through the side ribs or vertical flanges e cof the coupling-arm and through the sleeve bearing or socket O of the arm or shank of the rocking hook. Were the coupling arm not flanged, mere lugs might be provided'upon it to which to pivot the rocking hook.

A spring, 0, bears upward against a heel end or extension of the rocking-hook shank, so as to keep this hook against the xed hook,

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or against the coupling-arm socket f should the hook a be moved away from the rocking hook by the movements of the ingerbeam. Vilhen the rocking hook bears upon the socket f, instead of upon the rounded top of the fixed hook, it is heldin position to he readily engaged with the fixed hook, which slides under it when the finger-beam is elevated at its outer end. To disengage the two hooks to allow the ringer-beam to be lowered from the position in which it is represented in Fig. 5, the heel end of the rocking hook is pressed upon to overcome the force of the spring.

A rigid toe or tappet-like arm, l), is provided at the heel of the finger-beam, being, in this instance, formed with one ofthe lugs gof the heel-plate or clip-iron G. This toe is inelineoihextending upward and inward from the ringer-beam heel, and in irs normal position rests against or close to the front of the coupling-arm, with its end or point about in the horizontal plane of or ush with the adjacent upper surface of the coupling-arm.

A rocking dog or lever, Q, is mounted on the coupling-arm, for acting ou the toe I, an d for elevating the cutting apparatus, and is shown as pivoted on the pin or bolt p, which supports the rocking hook N. This verticallyroching lever Q, plays close to or against the front side of the couplingarin, and is connected by its inner or longer end with a raising and lowering lcverJ, bya chain, S. This lifting-lever Ris provided with the usual auxiliaries, such as the segment T, to which the chain is attached, the springdetent U, and the retainer or rackV,all, in this instance, mounted on the wooden frame-bar C.

The outer or shorter end ot the (logging-lever Q overlaps the toe P, and is provided with a short side projection or stop-lug, q, which overhangs and abuts upon the coupling-arm, to limit the downward movement of the outer end of the lever as tle opposite end is acted upon by the lifting chain and lever It.

With the parts in their working positions, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, it will readily be understood that the cutting apparatus is left free to conform as fully as desirable to the undulations of the ground over which the machine may be drawn. Vhen the lifting-lever is operated to actuate the lever which dogs the toe at the heel end of the finger-beam, the linger-beam is first stiiiened, and is then raised at its outer end. Should it be desired to raise the cutting apparatus still higher, the movement of the lifting-lever backward is continued to the required extent, raising the coupling-arm and cutting apparatus together, the

strain being brought directly upon the couplingarm by the stop q of the dogginglever bearin g thereon. When the full lifting move ment has been imparted to the lever R the finger-beam may be turned up and locked in its elevated position by the hooks N n for transportation. (See Fig. 5.) The full lincsin this iigure show the positions to which the parts may be lowered bythe lever R preparatory to unlocking and turning down the tingerbeam.

I am aware that various means have hereto fore been employed for stiftening and raising and lowering finger-beams of mowers, and I do not, therefore, broadly claim an organization ot" devices whereby an attachment to a ngerbeam is acted upon by a lever and co-operating mechanism to stiti'en, raise, and lower the cutting apparatus.

I claim as of my own inventionl. The combination ot' the finger-beam, the rigid hook at the heel of the finger-beam, the coupling-arm, and the rockin g spring-actuated hook pivoted to the coupling-arm, these members hein g and operatin gsubstantialiy as here inbefore set forth.

2. The combination of the inger-beam, the hook connected with the heel of the finger. beam and having a rounded head, the couplingar|n having the sleeve-bearing or pivotsooket, and the spring-actuated rocking hook limited in its movement by abutting against the pivot-socket of the coupling-arm, substan tiaily. as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. The combination of the coupling-arm, the ringer-beam, the rocking hook for engaging with and supporting the finger-beam in its elevated position, and the spring acting on said hook, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. The combination ot" the coupling-arm, the ri gidly-attached beariu gs or iian ges projectin g above and below the coupling-arm, the bracearm pivoted to one of said bearings, the con necting-rod pivoted to the other of said bearings, the rocking lever, the supporting-bracket, the doubly-jointed connection between thc connecting-rod and the lower end of said lever, and the doubly-jointed connection between the supporting bracket and the brace-arm, these members being and operating as hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GEO. SWEET.

Vitnesses J. C. Wnrrnunan, F. T. BRETTLE.

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